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PHILADELPHIA – U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Mid-Atlantic Diesel Collaborative has announced the availability of $300,000 in grant money for projects designed to protect public health by reducing diesel emissions in the mid-Atlantic region.

The grants will fund projects within Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, WestVirginia and the District of Columbia that demonstrate effective emission control technologies and strategies, and methods or approaches to reducing diesel emissions.

Diesel exhaust, which contributes to the formation of smog and soot, is a significant public health concern especially for serious respiratory and cardiac health effects. Proposals, which are due October 31, 2006, must fall under at least one or more of the following categories: freight, urban fleets, construction and ports. The complete announcement and application instructions can be found at www.epa.gov/region3/grants/grantopp.htm.

EPA has set stringent standards fordiesel engines, beginning with the 2007 model year, including heavy-duty trucks and buses, and non-road equipment such as construction and cargo handling equipment. However, diesel engines last a long time, and EPA estimates that more than 11 million engines nationally can be affected through emission reduction projects. The Mid-Atlantic Diesel Collaborative is a voluntary partnership of federal, state and local agencies from Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Virginia and the District of Columbia, along with communities, non-profit organizations and private companies working together to reduce emissions from diesel engines in the mid-Atlantic region. It is part of EPA's National Clean Diesel Campaign that focuses on reducing diesel emissions nationally. http://airnow.gov/

For more information on the Mid-Atlantic Diesel Collaborative: www.dieselmidatlantic.org. #